How a Fila puppy clears a room

It was customer appreciation day today (unbeknownst to me) at a local pet store (Tisol) when we walked in just for a short stop on our walk. It was PACKED with both people and animals.

I was looking at some tug-a-jug thing when I saw someone familar walk into the store; It was a older European man and Gisela - our neighborhood Fila. Her tail was tagging and she was smiling as usual (Fila's have a very charming, devilish, yet sweet smile). She did something very unusual today though; she screamed and barked nonstop at everyone and everything that was blocking her way till they gave way as she dragged her human across the store towards the direction of a bin filled with very aromatic smoked bones.

She played with Katalin for a while and kissed me - then repeated her crowd control number once more on the way out. There was a older man and a blonde lady chatting about cat litter in the cashier line up - she howled and barked at them until they stopped talking and let her and her person thru. Her man reached into the hospitality-treat canister on the counter and grabbed her a piece of pepperoni-bit. Gisela wasn't satisfied - she jumped on the table, knocked the canister over and inhaled the twenty or so pepperoni morsels that landed on the floor while unabashedly giving the employees and customers that were witness to it a "what-you-gonna-do-about-it?" look.

Filas are...something else lol

If ANY dog no matter what breed acted like that in my store, they'd be asked to leave.

That is simply a poorly behaved dog with an owner that should be ashamed of that behaviour. Who cares if it's a magical Fila or whatever breed.

Sorry, I don't find behavior like that "cute". That's how an ill-trained dog clears a room, regardless of breed. I'd be APPALLED if my dogs ever behaved that way, and talk about creating ill will toward one's breed of choice!

I've only met them a handful of times - she is usually very outgoing yet well behaved. That's why I said it was untypical of her to do something like that.

I don't know how she is at home, what her training is like etc so I can't say much more.

Also this was the first time I've encountered her in a indoor environment - maybe the closed space and crowds freaked her out?

Agreed, horrible and it is people with dogs like that, that give *xyz* breed a bad rap. Why do some people think that the rest of us and our dogs, should have to tolerate that kind of behavour regardless of breed??

I understand that pups may behave differently in new situations especially, but her owner really should have removed her the minute she started barking uncontrollably, not kept barging through the store - it's not good manners AND it's certainly not teaching Gisela proper behavior in a store environment.

:thumbup::thumbup: :hail:

*shrugs* I don't know about their training regimen, his plans for her etc. And I'm not condemning or condoning her behavior - just posting on something I saw happen today is all.

He's very knowledgeable and seems like he knows what he is doing though - and she's a good dog (from what I've seen of her).

I am not an uptight person. I don't go off on people for having quriky, not well behaved animals but I dont think a store setting is the greatest place for that behavior to manifest. It's a public, enclosed in space.

This.
and can you imagine if somebody in there was a bit scared of larger dogs? or if there was a small child or something?

I would've certainly asked that dog to leave if it were my store.
Regardless of breed or dogs intent.. that is a bad situation and horrible behavior for an enclosed space full of other dogs/people.

That dog sounds like a wreck, nothing cute about it, and I have some crazy ass dogs.

Remembering your 'small dogs are untrained' and 'rescue dogs are untrained' I wonder how this post would have read if this dog were a small dog behaving that way or a rescue dog behaving that way.

I definitely agree, not cute behavior at all. I would be so embarrassed if my dogs did that.

Ya, I would be pretty ticked and not impressed if I saw a dog no matter what breed doing that. Sounds like that dog needs some manners.

I'm going to go with the "not funny at all" crowd.

As an employee at a pet food store, dogs like that are EXTREMELY annoying. Its impossible to do my job (helping customers, namely) when there is a dog running around like crazy and barking its head off. Its inconsiderate, both to the employees and the other customers.

Yeah not cute. And honestly a small dog acting out like that is one thing. A breed that is large enough to seriously harm someone, that is bred to be sharp and defensive... yeah not cool at all

Laurelin,

The small dogs I was talking about in question in those previous topics were consistently quite nasty, had owners that were not interested in doing anything to correct their rude behavior, or we had run-in's with them. This dog I've had nothing but good experiences with - again, note my saying that this was something unusual that I noticed in her; also once again - I really cannot comment on how her training/education is progressing or if she is properly being taught how to behave in different environments etc

It was the first time I've seen/heard her bark actually - and I don't know if she was just freaked out, was in a upset state, just had a stressful experience, had a health upset/wasn't feeling well (not making excuses for her - just speculating). If I see/know that she is really getting out of hand and is behaving in a unmanageable manner all the time I would be just as critical of her handler as I was about the small dogs thing. But I can't make that judgement based on an isolated incident. Fair enough?

Well obviously, she isn't being taught how to behave in pet stores. Unless he wants to teach her to behave like a buffoon.

No, still not fair.

If your criteria is going to be consistent bad behavior, the Fila showed consistency by repeated barking and screaming at everyone and everything in several separated incidents. That to me is consistent bad behavior. One episode? Maybe. Repeated episodes without removing the dog from the store? That’s consistency.

If your criteria is owners not doing anything to correct the rude behavior, ditto. Your description has nothing about the handler attempting to correct anything. In fact he allowed it to continue until people moved out of the dog’s way.

If your criteria is an attempt to teach the dog how to behave, again I see that missing here too.

Its really the same thing, no matter how you try to paint it. Fila acting like a butt = cute. Little dog acting like a butt = reactive, snappy, annoying PITA.
Double standard.

:hail: :hail: :hail:

You mentioned the dog was smiling, playing, kissing you, stealing treats..doesn't sound like a one time offense, an owner trying to control their dog, or a scared/sick/freaked out dog to me. Sounds like an out of control dog with a lazy owner who doesn't care.

but hey..it's different because you KNOW this dog and it's a FILA.
Not like those other dogs had stories, owners, histories, medical issues, or anything else you didn't know about or anything... so you should feel free to pass judgement.

Barking at people? stealing treats? screaming? Jumping on counters?..that is way way beyond puppy naughtiness. That dog shouldn't have been allowed to get that far EVER. Even with an excuse for it's behavior..it should not have gotten that far

You know this reminds me of something I posted on Facebook about Lola. LoLa is quite naughty at home at times. It is always very quickly dealt with while I laugh about her naughtiness. I do find humor in her antics at home but would be mortified if she misbehaved in public!

Now, IMHO it is one thing to laugh about your dog shoplifting something off your dinner plate at home.....it is a whole nother issue to laugh about your dog terrorizing a store.

There is a line between naughtiness and outright ill behavior. What I described is juvenile naughtiness that is disciplined but still finding the humor in it. What you described is a dog so out of control that is misrepresents it's breed and gives it a bad image to others.

If I had seen a dog behaving that way. I would have absolutely said something to the owner.